The cars of
Assetto Corsa EVO

How they're organised

The catalogue is grouped into families that aren't just labels: each teaches something different and asks for a different style.

• Modern road — current sports cars, with electronics and high grip.
• Youngtimers — the eighties and nineties: less grip, more body roll, plenty of fun.
• Classics — no aids, no aero, everything in your hands.
• Racing — from one-make series to GT3, GT2 and single-seaters.

The usual mistake is always driving in the same family. Switching teaches you faster than repeating: a low-grip car forces you to carry corner speed, and one with huge brakes forces you to refine your foot.

Modern road cars

Current sports cars and saloons: Abarth 695 Biposto, Alfa Romeo Giulia GTAm, Alpine A110S, Audi RS3 and RS 6, BMW M2, M3 E46 CSL, M4 CSL and M8 Competition, Caterham 485 CSR, Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, Dallara Stradale, Ferrari 296 GTB, Ferrari Daytona SP3, Hyundai i30 N, Lamborghini Huracán STO, Lotus Emira and Exige V6 Cup, Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS, Porsche 911 GT3 RS, Toyota GR86 and the Volkswagen Golf 8 GTI Clubsport and R.

What they teach: weight management. They carry more mass and more roll than a racing car, so transfers are obvious and punish abrupt inputs.

Who for: the best family to start in, and also the one that gives the closest racing between drivers of different levels.

Youngtimers

The eighties and nineties: BMW M3 E30 Sport Evo, Ford Escort RS Cosworth, Honda S2000 AP1 and NSX-R, Lancia Delta HF Integrale Evoluzione II, Mazda MX-5 NA, Mercedes 190E 2.5-16 Evo II, Mini John Cooper S, Peugeot 205 T16, Porsche 911 Turbo 3.6 (964), Renault 5 GT Turbo and Toyota Supra MKIV.

What they teach: driving without a safety net. Low grip, modest brakes and, in several of them, turbos that arrive all at once. This is where you really learn throttle control.

Warning: the 911 Turbo 3.6, engine behind and turbo abrupt, is an accelerated masterclass in throttle management. Entertaining and treacherous in equal measure.

Classics

Alfa Romeo 75 Turbo Evoluzione, Audi Sport quattro, Ferrari 288 GTO, Lamborghini Countach LP5000 QV, Nissan Datsun 240Z, Toyota Sprinter Trueno AE86 and Volkswagen Golf GTI Mk1.

What they teach: everything depends on you. No ABS, no traction control and no downforce, so the only way to go fast is to be smooth and to anticipate.

Driving classics one evening a week improves your driving everywhere else. When you go back to a GT3, your feet are far better educated.

Racing cars

The broadest family: Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II and GT4 Evo, BMW M2 CS Racing and M4 GT3 Evo, Caterham Academy, Ferrari 296 GT3, 488 Challenge Evo, F2004 and SF-25, Ford Mustang GT3, Lamborghini Huracán ST EVO2, KTM X-Bow GT2 and GT4, Maserati GT2, Mazda MX-5 ND Cup, Mercedes-AMG GT2, Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport, 911 GT2 RS Clubsport Evo, 911 GT3 Cup, 911 GT3 R Rennsport and Porsche 935. And from other eras, the Ferrari F40 LM and the Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA.

Inside it live very different things:

• One-make (MX-5 Cup, Caterham Academy, 911 GT3 Cup) — complete parity, you win by driving.
• GT4 — the entry step into serious competition, with less downforce than a GT3.
• GT3 — the headline category: aero, adjustable electronics and setups with real depth.
• GT2 — more power than a GT3 and less downforce. Harder than it looks.
• Single-seaters — another league entirely: braking and cornering that's hard to believe until you try it.

If you're settling on GT3, start with brake bias and the differential: those two move the most lap time.

Which to pick for your level

A word of warning about lists: the catalogue grows with every update. This is today's snapshot and should be read as one.

Frequently asked